376 GEALLATOEES, OE WADING BIEDS. 



for it the nickname of the Sea Magpie. Its bill and feet are of a 

 beautiful red colour ; hence the name of Hceinatopiis (feet the 

 colour of blood) was given by Linnaeus to the whole genus, when 

 the other varieties of it were yet unknown. It is found at all 

 seasons on most of our coasts. As an article of game it is not all 

 one could wish. 



The HuNXERS (Cursorius) have slender and pointed bills, slightly 

 bent at the end ; long tarsi ; no back toe ; wings much pointed ; its 

 plumage is of a dove colour, and it is about eighteen inches in 

 height. As its name implies, it runs with surprising rapidity. 

 It is a native of Asia and the north of Africa, and only casually 

 makes its appearance in Europe. Nothing is known of its habits. 



The Lapwings ( Va?iellus) have the bill enlarged on the upper 

 side, two-thirds of its length being filled up by the nasal chan- 

 nels ; its back toe' is excessively short, and wings pointed. When 

 fljang, they make a noise which is not unlike that of corn 

 falling back on the winnowing-fan ; hence their French name, 

 Vanneau. 



These birds are essentially migratory, and come down from the 

 high northern latitudes in large flocks at the beginning of autumn, 

 again returning thither in spring. They frequent marshes and 

 the margins of lakes ; in fact, all moist, soft districts which abound 

 in earth-worms, insects, slugs, &c. They may often be seen 

 settling down on fields recently ploughed, where they can find an 

 ample supply of worms. They are in the habit of employing a 

 rather ingenious process to make their victims emerge from the 

 earth. They strike the ground with their feet, and thus give the 

 surface a slight shock, which the worm is tempted to attribute to 

 the proximity of a mole ; and consequently it hastens to the 

 surface to escape its underground enemy, when it is immediately 

 snapped up by the bird. 



The Lapwing is a model of cleanliness. After it has been 

 feeding on the ground for two or three hours, it washes its bill 

 and feet ; it repeats these ablutions several times in the day. In 

 this respect the most rigid Mahommedan coidd scared}^ find fault 

 with it. 



Lapwings live together in communities, except in the breeding 

 season, when they separate into pairs, to devote themselves to 



